Automatic sheet separating and feeding mechanism



Sept. 15, 1953 AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 9, 1948 L. JOHNSON 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

' Ignar l Jrfirzson Sept. 15, 1953 E. 1.. JOHNSON 2,652,248 AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECHANIS Filed Oct. 9, 1948 M 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Elmer .Z e/brz 5027/ Sept. 15, 1953 E. JOHNSON 2,652,248

AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 9, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 H a ,25 2; 26 J INVENTOR.

I'Zmer 1: cfofirzsom Sept. 15, 1953 EL. JOHNSON 2,652,248 AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATING AI JD FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 9, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L ze 3 INVENTOR. .2

Elgar J. Cir/{man Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrcE 2,652,248 AUTOMATIC SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING .Elmer L. Johnson,

MECHANISM 7 Chicago, 111., assignor to Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, 111., a, corporation of lllino'is Application October 9, 1948, Serial No.

7 Claims. (Cl. 271-39) ,My invention relates particularly to automatic sheet feeding mechanism adapted for use on a, microfilm, recorder embodying sheet handling or; feeding mechanismprovided with a horizontal handling mechanism, which is conveniently portable which is readilyinstalled on and removed ,from asheethandling machine at will so that She ets may bereadilyfed. to the sheet handling h machine either automaticallyor by,hand, which is dependable as to sequentially feeding sheets sheets to be fed.

anism with stacks of .The invention will bemore readily understood Q M by-reference to the accompanying drawing form-' ingva part hereof and in whichh Figure 1 isa partial sectional view of a microtfilm recorder on which an automatic feeding n echanism embodying my invention is installed;

, Eigure 2 is a similarview showing the automatic feeding mechanism partially removed from y the microfilm recorder;

view substanpartial section substantially on Figure 8. e i

M Referringwto the drawing and particularly-to Figures land 2, theosheet handlingmachineon which my automatic sheet feeding mechanism ,is

driven in timedrelation with the .feed drum 2 p in asuitablemanner, the sheets are fed thereby downwardly past a. photographicafield 9 where they are photographed, the sheet path being indicated byithe dot and dash line I I in Figure l.

My automatic sheetfeeding mechanism comprises as followspn, a.

i A rectangular support plate 12 is provided with integral upwardlyextending projections I 3 at opposite sides "of the front endthereof. See Figis readily installed on sheet handling machine gaging the legs It with the hubs 23, and collars the hand sheet feed plate 4 remote from the feed drum 2 is provided with transversely spaced apertures I9 downwardly into which the reduced end portions ll of the legs I6 loosely engage with the shoulders I8 engaged downwardly on the feed plate 4 for positioning the support plate I2 above the feed plate 4 and inclined downwardly toward the upper portion of the feed drum 2 in adjacent tangential sheet feeding relation therewith and with the friction rollers I5 in rolling driven engagement downwardly on the feed drum for driving the shaft I4 from the feed drum, see Figures 1 and 8, the feed plate 4 being provided with transversely spaced apertures 2I through which the rollers I5 project to engage the feed drum 2,

see Figure 3.

The support plate I2 forms the base of the automatic feeding mechanism and carries the mechanism thereof including the friction rollers I5 and shaft I4 as a unit, so that the automatic feeding mechanism is conveniently portable and and removed from the by engaging and disenthe apertures I9 with vertical movement of the feeding mechanism. Figure 2 illustrates the feeding mechanism in partially removed relation with the sheet han- V dling machine.

The loose engagement of the reduced end portions H of the legs I6 in the apertures I9 in cooperation with engagement of the shoulders I8 downwardly on the feed plate 4 provides pivotal engagement of the legs I6 downwardly on the feed plate 4 in the region of the other end of the support plate and thus in a region horizontally and radially remote from the end of the support plate I2 at which the friction rollers I5 are disposed to permit vertical movement of the feeding mechanism whereby weight of the feeding mechanism presses the friction rollers I5 downwardly on the feed drum 2 to provide adequate driving engagement between the feed drum and friction rollers.

Two bored feed rolls 22 are rotatably mounted on the intermediate portion of the shaft I4 between the projections I3 and friction rollers I5. they being thus arranged whollyabove the support plate I2 on an axis inwardly adjacent the front end of the support plate and in coaxial relation with and being of smaller diameter than i See Figures 3, 5 bored hubs 23 that of the friction rollers. and '7. These feed rolls comprise having their bores engaged for rotation on the shaft, and bored rolls 24 of friction material, such as soft rubber, secured on the hubs for rotation therewith and through the bores of which the hubs extend. A collar 25 is secured, by means of a headed set screw 26, on the shaft I4 between 39 are secured on the shaft at the outer ends of the hubs 23 and serve with the collar 25 as axial thrust bearings for the hubs.

A clutch spring 21, see Figures 5 and '7, has two helical oppositely coiled portions 28 respectively engaged about adjacent ends of the hubs 23 and has an intermediate looped portion 29, between the coil portions, secured under the head of the set screw 23 and consequently secured with the collar 25 and shaft I4. The coil portions 28 are arranged to grip the hubs 23 and drive the feed rolls 22 when the shaft I4 is rotated in a clockwise direction in Figures 1 and 8 and to permit overrunning of the feed rolls with, respect to the shaft in the same direction, thus providing automatic overrunning clutches for driving the feed support plate I2 between 4% rolls from the shaft in the direction to feed sheets to the feed drum 2 as will hereinafter appear.

The support plate I2 is adapted to support a stack of sheets M on edge for the advancement thereof against the feed rolls 22, see Figure 1, and a pusher 32 serves for advancing the stack of sheets against the feed rolls.

The pusher as shown is formed of sheet metal blanked and formed to shape, see particularly Figures 3 and 4, and comprises a forward stack engaging portion 33 providing a forward stack engaging face 34 facing in the direction of the feed rolls for engagement with the stack, a flange portion 35 at the top of the portion 33 and projecting therefrom rearwardly at an angle thereto, and side portions 36 projecting from the portion 33 rearwardly and downwardly and respectively overlying the sides of the support plate I2 and extending below the same. The stack engaging portion 33 is provided downwardly thereon with two spaced openings 31 which aline with the feed rolls 22 so that the portion 33 does not contact the feed rolls in the extreme stack advancing position of the pusher, and the portion 33 of the portion 33 between the openings 31 is provided with a vertically disposed rearwardly extending projection 39.

The pusher 32 is mounted on the support plate I2 for stack advancing movement toward the feed rolls 22 and retracting movement away from the feed rolls by bearings comprising three roller bearings on the pusher and bearing downwardly on the support plate I2, two of these hearings, designated at M, being spaced and alined transversely of the stack advancing and retracting movement of the pusher and disposed respectively at opposite sides of the support plate and rotatably mounted respectively rearwardly on'the side portions 36 of the pusher, the third of these bearings, designated at 42, being spaced forwardly from the bearings 4I lineally of the stackedvancing and retracting movement of the pusher and disposed intermediate the sides of the support plate and rotatably mounted on the projection 39 of the pusher immediately to the rear of the stack engaging portion 33, and two additional roller bearings 43 spacedand alined'transversely of the stack advancing and retracting Imovement of the pusher and disposed respectively at opposite sides of the support plate I2 and rotatably mounted respectively on the side portions 36 of the pusher and spaced between the bearings M and the bearing 42 lineally of the stack advancing and retracting movement of the pusher and engageable upwardly against the support plate I2, the pusher being thus confined both downwardly and upwardly on the support plate.

By reason of the inclination of the support plate I2 downwardly toward the feed rolls 22, the pusher is yieldably urged toward the feed rolls, and the stack 3|, being supported on edge on the the pusher and feed rolls, see Figure 1, is advanced against the feed rolls so that the front sheet of the stack is in frictional engagement with the feed rolls, and the feed rolls, driven as above described, sequentially feed the sheets singly from the stack to the feed drum 2 on which they are gripped by the pressure rollers 6 and fed through the sheet handling machine. a

The friction rollers I5, which are driven from the feed drum 2 by frictional engagement with the periphery of the feed drum, are shown as being of greater diameter than that of the'feed amazes The stack engagingface 34 of thepusher 32 is of limited height for feeding narrow sheets, such as bank checks, andin order to provide for feeding sheets of greater height, such as letter size sheets, a stack engaging plate 44 of greater height, and consequently having a forward stack engaging face 45 of greater height, is provided, which is detachably secured at will against the stack engaging face 34 of the pusher by means of vertically and transversely spaced apertures 46 through the stack engaging portion 33 of the pusher and having enlarged upper portions 41 and narrow lower portions 48, see Figures 3, and 8, and correspondingly spaced headedstuds 49 secured on'the lower portion of the plate 44 and projecting from the rear face thereof. The heads 50 of the studs 49 are adapted to pass through the enlargedupper portions 41of the apertures 46 and the shanks 5! of thestuds 49 are adapted to engage downwardly in the narrow lower portions 48 of the apertures 46 with'the heads 50 overlying the rear surface of the portion 33 of the pusher to detachably secure the stack engaging plate 44 against the stack engaging face 34 of the pusher, the stack engaging plate 44 being attachable on and detachable from the pusher with vertical and facewise movement. The stack engaging plate 44 is provided with forwardly projecting flanges 52 at the sides thereof for embracing the sides of a stack of sheets which is desirable with respect to long sheets, and the plate 44 is provided adjacent its upper end with a horizontally elongated handle forming opening '53 to facilitate installation and removal thereof. F l

' The stackengaging plate 44 is shown attached on the pusher 32 in Figures 1, 2,5 and 8, in which casethe stack engaging surface 45 engages the rear of the stack 3|, and in Figures 3 and 4 the pusher 32 is shown with the stack engaging plate 44 'reinoved therefrom in which case the stack engaging surface 34 of the pusher engages the rear of the stack of sheets. l

A support rod 54extends transversely of the support plate l2 between the projections l3 and above the feed rolls 22 :less than, that of the feed drum, and

permitted without causand is secured on these projections, and an elongated flat positioning member 55 is doubled back on itself facewiseto form two spacedly overlying portions 56 and 51, see Figures 3, 5 and 8, and the free end of the portion 56 is secured, as designated at 58, on the rod 54 with the member 55 disposed intermediate the sides of the support plate 12 and extending upwardly from the feed rolls 22 and with the portion 5! overlying the portion 56 1n the direc tion of said pusher and disposed in approximately tangential relation with the feed rolls 22 for forpositioning member 55.

A positioning member 64 extends transversely: of the support plate 12 in upwardly spaced T8187 tion with the feed rolls The extending portions of than one sheet at a time. the stack engaging surface comprises a friction loading of n the its rear end with materiaL-such as soft rubit The support plate asst-p48:

7 versely-spaced- -stop studs 14' are respectively seeuredb'n-the side portidns-at of the pusher-32 and project inWa'rdly therefromabove the sup-- port plate and are adapted *to--"enga'ge-the stop" sti'ids -l'3 tolimit ret'racting or rearward move nient of the pusher atthe position thereof where the beari ngs M are 'en'gaged'in-backbfthe =sh0u1- ders 12;the=stop-studs lt'eng'aging downwardly on thesupport plate to limit downward movement ofthe' p'usher s 4 While -I havethus described myinvention; I do not wish td be limited to the precisedetails deser'i-bed as changes may be readily made-without departing front the spirit ofmy invention; but having thus described my invention,- I claim. as new an'd desire ta secure by Letters Patent the renewing l 1. In-anautomatic sheet feeding'm'ech'anism adapted' for-useona sheet handling machine p-rovided witha horizontal driven rotatablesheet' feed drum and pressuregrippingmeans for grip ping sequentially fed-sheetsbetweendt and said drum-for the feeding of the sheets, the combination ofsheet stack supporting and advancing means comprising-asupport plate for supporting a stack ofjsheetson edge and arranged with one 'en'd' thereof in adjacent tangential sheet feeding rela tion with the upper portion of said drum, a ro-' tatable feed roll arranged"transversely 'of- 1 and wholly above said support war'dly "adjacent said end of said support plate and-against which said sheet "stack is advanced; and feed-' rolrdrive means roll fro'm saidfeed drumfor drum-and comprisingarota-tabl'e roller arranged" on" an axis above saidsupport plate and inwardly ping sequentially fed sheets between it and'said the sheets, the combinaand advancing drumfor the feeding of tion of sheet stack'- supporting means-'comprising-a support plate for supporting astack'of sheetson'- edge and arranged with one end thereof-in adjacent tangentialsheet feeding portion of said drum, a"

relation with "the upper rotatable feed T011 arranged transversely of and wholly' -above said support plateon an axis in-' wardly adjacent ing of sheets from said sheet stack to said feed drum and 'comprisingarotatable roller of-greaterdiameter than said feed roll and arranged in"co'-- axial relation with said feed roll and projecting below said support plate and having rollirig' en gagement dow'nwardly l on said feed drum.

adapted fo'r use on a sheet gripping means for gripfeeddrum and pressure ping sequentially fed sheets-between it and" said drumfor the feeding-0f the sheets, the 'conibina thin or sh'eet"-stack supporting and adva'ncing means comprising-a support plate for supporting a-"stack of sheets on edge, a rotatable shaft carried with and arrangedtr ansversely or and-spaced above said support plate and inwardly adjacent one end of said support plate; a rotatable'feedfordriving said feed I the sequential feed ingof-"sheets from said sheet st'ack'to said feed driven rotatablesheetsaid end of said support plate and against which-said sheet stack is advanced} and feedrolldrive means for driving said feed roll fromsaid feed drum forthe sequential feed-- 8 roll arra'nge'd wholly "above' -said -support are: and mounted-on said shaft' and 'against which' said sheet stack is advancedjfeedroll drive means for driving-said feed roll fromsaid feed drum forthe-sequentialfeeding of sheetsfr'orh said sheetf stack to said fe'e'd drum andeomprising saidshaft and a rotatable rollerpf greater diameterthan said feed roll and mDunted' Qn-saidshaffi and projecting below said supp'ort plate for rolling: engagement downwardly 2on said' feed drumwith said support plate 'positioned-with-said end there of =iniadj acent tangential sheet feeding :relation with the" upper portion ofsaidcfeed drum; andpositioning' means for positioningi'said supportplate as aforesaid onfsaidsheet handling: Jma;v

chine with said drive means roller engaged down wardlyl onsaidfeed drum and comprising-a sup? port carried with said-support plate'and detach? ably: pivotaliy engageable downwardly ona i said sheet handling machine in a region spaced" from said drive means I roller whereby:- weight' of' said support plate and the mechanismcarried "therewith presses said drive means roller downwardly on said drum.

4: In an automatic sheet feeding mechanism-- adapted for use-on a' sheet handling machine provided with a horizontal driven rotatable-sheetreed: drum, pressure gripping mean -for grippingi sequentially fed sheets between it=and= said drum for'the feeding of the sheets, and a generally horizontal hand sheet feed plate arranged in tangential sheet feeding relation with the upper portion of said feed drum, the combination of sheet stack supporting and advancing meanscomprising a support plate for supportinga stack of sheets on edge, a rotatable-feed roll carried with and arranged transversely of and whollyabove said support plate on an axis inwardly adjacent one end of said support plate and against which said sheet stack is advanced, feed roll drive means for driving said feed roll from said feed drum for the sequential feeding of sheets from said stack to said feed drum and comprising a rotatable roller carried with said support plate on an axis'above and inwardly adjacent said end thereof and projecting below said support plate for rolling engagement downwardl on said feed v prisingasupport on and .;wardly adjacent said end drum with said support plate positioned above said feed plate and with said end of said support plate in adjacent tangential sheet feedingrelation with said drum, and positioning means for positioning saidsupport plate as aforesaid on' said feed plate withsaid drive means roller engaged downwardly on said feed drum and comextending downwardly from said support plate and detachably pivotally engageable-downwardly on said feed plate in'theregion of the other endof saidsupport plate whereby weight of-said support plate and the mechanism carried therewith presses said drive means roller downwardly on said drum.

5. In an automatic sheet feeding mechanism adapted for use on-a sheet handling machine provided with a horizontal driven rotatable sheet feed drum and pressure gripping means for grippingsequentially fed sheets between it and said drum for the feeding of the sheets, thecombination of sheet stack supporting and advancing means comprising a support plate for supporting a stack of sheets on edge and arranged with one end thereof in adjacent tangential sheet feeding-i relation with the upper 'portion of said drum, .a' rotatable feed roll arranged transversely of and wholly above said support plate on an axis inof-said support plate horizontally:

ing rolling engagement downwardly on said feed drum and an automatic overrunning clutch for roller in the direction to feed sheets to said feed drum.

6. In an automatic sheet feeding mechanism adapted feed roll from said drum engaging .7

ELMER L. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Sheldon Jan. 20, 1903 Rogers Jan. 14, 1908 Whitlock Sept. 27, 1932 Johnson June 6, 1933 Meredith Dec. 4, 1934 Krell May 18, 1937 Patrick Nov. 29,. 1938 Wimmer June 18, 1940 Hall June 20, 1944 Zabel, J12, et a1, Apr. 24, 1951 

